My Top 10 Men's Fashion Icons

So iconic that I'm posting early

Men’s fashion is a topic that has always piqued my interest because it is significantly less subjective than women’s fashion. There are limited options and ways to have an outfit stand out among a hundred other similar ones. This side of fashion also does not rely on accessories as much as women’s (some not at all), so it purely is the shirt and the pants that make the outfit.

The first word that comes to mind when I think of the men whose fashion I admire is: experimental. They choose to branch out from the norm and pick unique colors and styles that complement their features. In other words, they take more risks with what they put on themselves. That being said, I do like classic menswear as well (more on this later).

To fully understand my perspective and opinions on men’s fashion, I picked out ten different men from various decades, whose fashion choices and tastes I have deemed the very best of its kind, all for contrasting reasons. I chose not to rank them (instead listed in sequential order) because I already had enough of a difficult time narrowing down my list to these ten men.

See below for my list.

1. Marlon Brando

Going back to the 1950s, Marlon Brando built his brand off of classic menswear styles. The Godfather actor revolutionized the white T-shirt and trousers as an outfit in and of itself. His go-tos were long-sleeved sweaters, crewneck sweatshirts, and skinny leather belts. His 1951 film A Streetcar Named Desire showcased a lot of his own clothing choices, mixed with the film’s costume department, which ultimately influenced a new wave of style that was much more laid back and relied on the basics. His style was considered to be ahead of its time, as the “classic” and “basic” trends in menswear did not occur until the 1990s. What I find most interesting about Brando is that he wore what he wanted to, he ignored fashion norms at the time and put on clothes that were not influenced by society (which is hard to come by as a major movie star).

2. Sylvester Stallone

Sly Stallone undoubtedly had one of the best wardrobes in the 1970s-80s. He frequently pulled out outfits unlike any others at the time, like plaid jackets with denim, satin bombers with tank tops, turtlenecks, rimmed glasses, and one of his most iconic looks, a fur coat (Ryan Gosling’s “Ken” in Barbie wore a fur coat inspired by Sly’s). The multi-faceted actor is rumored to have kept and continued to wear most of the clothing items he had before he was famous and when he lived in Philly and continued to restyle them over the years.

Stallone also wore real prescription glasses and chose thin, black-rimmed ones that he commonly paired with his suits. He also accessorized his outfits with different jewelry as well.

My absolute favorite outfit of his is any of them where he wears his fur coat. He paired it with several different looks, and they are all equally supreme.

3. Al Pacino

Al Pacino, one of my favorite actors of all time, has a sense of style that is seen both on and off-screen. Between Tony Montana’s collared open shirts in Scarface (1982) and Michael Corleone’s multi-colored suits in The Godfather (1972), Pacino has had a history of good style. However, I think some of his best outfits to date were in the 1990s when he channeled streetwear-esque menswear.

Some of Pacino’s fashion choices included sizing up in his blazer and trousers for a more loose and baggy fit, which is how he wore almost all of his suits. Similarly, he also opted for longer wool and trench coats that had the oversized look as the suits he paired them with. Pacino also frequently wore backward baseball caps over his hair, a long gold chain necklace, and almost always had a pair of black sunglasses on (a key element of all of his looks).

I think Pacino’s style gave an “effortlessly cool” look, which influenced younger generations at the time.

4. Robin Williams

I love Robin Williams’ style almost as much as I love his acting. Similar to his skills as an actor, Williams had a lot of stylistic range and it is highlighted through his years of red carpet premieres and public appearances.

Williams harmoniously combined more casual, nonchalant wear such as cargos, button-ups, and sneakers and more professional, high-end wear from some of his favorite brands such as Visvim, Mishka, and even Dior. He frequently experimented with different patterns such as camouflage, materials like corduroy, and glasses in all different shapes and rims. All of his outfits exuded the idea that he liked to have fun and switch up his style depending on the occasion.

His style defined the 80’s and 90’s and has even gone as far as inspiring different ways of dressing to this day.

After going through hundreds of photos, I cannot choose my favorite outfit of Robin Williams, purely because it was his experimental taste in clothes as a whole that I admire the most.

5. Dennis Rodman

I can’t drop the word “streetwear” without mentioning former Chicago Bulls player Dennis Rodman. Rodman has permanently imprinted his legacy in the fashion world through his vibrant, eclectic, and unforgettable fashion choices over the past thirty years. He pretty much stuck to stylistic choices that he knew absolutely no one else would be seen in. From sheer tops, floral patterned blouses, tank tops, and tights, his fashion muse could quite literally be nobody but himself.

Rodman stuck to bright colors both in his outfits and hair, maybe being even more well-known for his frequent hair changes over the years. He has dyed his hair in a multitude of colors and designs to match outfits, including leopard print, neon pink, a smiley face, lime green, and the Bulls logo. Besides his hairstyles, he also heavily accessorized his outfits with assorted jewelry such as rings, earrings, and necklaces, as well as different pairs of sunglasses.

Today’s society is so heavily influenced by trends, so I find it refreshing to see someone like him decide to spray paint his hair green or wear a crop top simply because he wanted to, not caring about what other people thought about his choices.

To this day, his style is top tier and is a figure of inspiration for people everywhere.

6. David Beckham

One of England’s best footballers David Beckham is by far one of the most stylish figures in the sport’s history. He frequently combined his athleticism into his outfits with frequent wearing of sweatsuits, jerseys, etc. Beckham is known for his “out there” looks such as headbands, assorted jewelry, and nail polish, but most iconically known for matching with and styling his outfits around his wife, Victoria Beckham (Posh Spice).

Streetwear is where Beckham shines through, as he was seen most commonly in casual wear in public. Denim, jerseys, and assorted sweaters were the norm for him.

However, when he was out with Victoria, he would ramp up his style a bit. They liked to dress similarly in terms of color palettes and even clothing pieces, including matching snakeskin jackets in 2000. Their styles complemented each other remarkably well, and together, they defined the Y2K style in the early millennium.

From wearing a sleeveless top and a durag when meeting King Charles in 2000, to wearing matching leather Versace shoots with Vic in 1999, his style was a one-of-a-kind.

7. A$AP Rocky

A$AP Rocky is undeniably the poster boy for fashion in this decade. He is constantly switching up his style, heavily accessorizing, and always keeping his fans on their toes to see what he may pop out in next. Rocky’s style is hard to put into one box, but he wears mostly streetwear (vintage) but likes to combine with touches of 90’s fashion/style and showcase various designer brands. He is truly one of the only figures in the fashion world who shows up to the Met Gala dressed in a blanket and still receives praise from fashion critics around the world.

Rocky also typically gets grills put in his mouth, that he designs himself with shapes, patterns, gems, and colors that tend to match his outfits. Just an example of accessorizing to the absolute max.

I can’t help but mention Rihanna, who has influenced his style immensely. The pair complement each other perfectly in terms of stylistic choices and have been seen in public together wearing correlating outfits.

A$AP Rocky is a fashion idol and there is no disputing it.

8. Héctor Bellerín

Footballers are known to have an elite sense of style, and Héctor Bellerín is no exception. Quite possibly known for his style and hair over his skills on the field (debatable), Bellerín has made a name for himself in the fashion realm.

Sticking with more laid-back, nonchalant style, such as denim, cargo, and button-ups, but accessorizing with multi-colored sunglasses, bags, and jewelry is what kicks his style up a few notches. However, perhaps his biggest accessory is the mullet hairstyle he has been sporting for a few years. While he has a mullet, he keeps it cleaner than most men with this hairstyle and somehow finds a way to match it perfectly with all of his outfits.

Bellerín also prides his style on thrifting or buying his clothes secondhand, which has become an increasingly popular way to find solid pieces of clothing. He is a big proponent of sustainability, which he claims is a big part of his style and how he chooses what to wear.

I like the nonchalant, effortless look on both men and women and Bellerín never fails to pull it off.

9. Jacob Elordi

Jacob Elordi has mastered the idea of streetwear in this generation, by curating simple yet stylish outfits that can easily be considered casual or more formal. His public appearances almost always include denim, a sweater, and a coat, ranging from denim to a biker jacket, or a long trench coat.

What I think stands out the most with Elordi’s style is that he is not afraid to accessorize. He has quite a large collection of designer bags, purses, and totes that he frequently carries around. My favorite is his black Bottega he commonly wears out in public. Similarly, Elordi typically wears black-rimmed sunglasses, some assortment of jewelry, and most recently carries a book in hand. Obviously, is not part of his outfit, but I choose to view it as a nice touch.

His combined style of streetwear mixed with touches of class with non-flashy designer brands is what makes him stand out to me the most in terms of male celebrities in this generation.

10. Colman Domingo

2024 award shows thus far this season have been dominated by celebrities who know how to properly clean themselves up for the red carpet, aka Colman Domingo. You will never see Domingo in a regular black suit and tie, instead, he transcends this classic outfit by accessorizing with brooches, jewelry, and different buttons/pendants, experimenting with colors, and overall dresses in ways that cameras can’t help but capture.

Vogue and GQ, among other outlets, have been feeding off of Domingo’s uniqueness on the red carpets, but what I love most about his style is that he relies on the basics, a suit and tie, but completely overpowers it by adding his touches to the outfits. Something else noticeable about his stylistic choices is that his clothing is not necessarily tight-fitting, but always very well tailored to his body, which is an interesting choice, as most current trends revolve around a baggier and looser fit. Altogether, his outfits always seem so personalized and as if lots of thought, care, and outfit experimenting went into them. I have yet to see an outfit of his that I didn’t like even in the slightest.

Domingo takes more risks with his outfits, luckily for him, has always paid off. I am looking forward to seeing his attire at the Oscars next month.

Thank you for reading!

March 7th: Core-ification in Fashion

February 22nd: I ❤️ New York (click to read)

- Lily